The section of the Rail Baltica European-gauge railway to Vilnius will be constructed after 2030, following the completion of the main line, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said on Thursday.

Until then, a variable-gauge system could be temporarily used between Vilnius and Kaunas, allowing trains in Kaunas to switch from the European gauge to the broad gauge to reach the capital.

Transport and Communications Minister Eugenijus Sabutis stated that the Vilnius section of Rail Baltica will be built as soon as the necessary funding is secured.

“The first stage ensures Lithuania’s connection to Western Europe via Kaunas, while the second stage provides for the extension of the European-gauge track to Vilnius. I can assure you that Vilnius is an integral part of Rail Baltica, but it will be implemented after 2030 once the main line is completed,” Sabutis said in a statement.

Lithuania has already secured €1.6 billion in funding for the Rail Baltica project through 2030 and is seeking an additional €4 billion.

Currently, Rail Baltica is under construction in Lithuania on a 46.3 km section between Kaunas and Panevėžys, with work expected to extend to 114 km by the end of the year.

Earlier in June, Sabutis told TV3 News that Lithuania would not seek EU funding for the Vilnius section, as the EU was not willing to allocate funds for this part of the project. At the time, he said the state budget also lacked the necessary resources to finance the European-gauge track between Kaunas and Vilnius.

According to a joint report published by Baltic auditors in June 2024, an additional €10–19 billion may be required to complete the planned works across the three Baltic countries, including €8.7 billion in Lithuania alone.

Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has said the entire Rail Baltica project currently faces a funding shortfall of around €11 billion.

The full Rail Baltica line connecting the Baltic countries to the rest of Europe is scheduled for completion by 2030, with the link between Lithuania and Poland expected to be ready by 2028.

Previously, it was reported that Rail Baltica would connect Tallinn, Pärnu, Riga, Panevėžys, Kaunas, Vilnius, and Warsaw. In total, the line will span 392 km in Lithuania.

Source: BNS

(Reproduction of BNS information in mass media and other websites without written consent of BNS is prohibited)